Bad Case
by magicmumu
Summary: In this companion piece to 'Pizza Beer and Scrubs', Jill wants to take Cindy's advice, but the timing just isn't right. Femslash Warning: Jill/Denise, mention of Cindy/Lindsey


Bad Case

by Erin Griffin

Fandom: Women's Murder Club

Pairing: (pre?) Jill/Denise, mentions Cindy/Lindsey

Rating: PG, pretty safe.

Summary: In this companion piece to 'Pizza Beer and Scrubs', Jill wants to take Cindy's advice, but the timing just isn't right.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ABC and other people who aren't me.

Note: Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine, and I'm sorry if Denise and Jill are off in this one. This story didn't go anywhere near where I wanted it to go. Again, Happy Valentine's day.

Two hours ago, Jill's life was actually okay. Sure, she was living with one of her best friends in a full house of madness, her job was stressfull with a bitchy boss who was dead sexy in this 'don't look at me or I'll cut you' kind of way, her best friends were a medical examiner, a detective and a nosey puppy dog of a reporter who somehow wormed her way into their consiouness, and she was single on the most romantic day of the year. But these were things she had become accustumed to and even comfortable with. Two hours ago, she was on top of everything, and she was so sure that she was going to win this case and put that bastard behind bars for good. She had planned to come back to her office victorious, break out a glass of spirits to celebrate, ask Denise to join her, and see from there. Though she didn't notice- What had Cindy called it?- the 'Subtext Mambo' that was supposedly between them, Jill had to admit she was curious about these new feelings she'd developed for her boss. She wondered if the feelings were even all that new, if she were honest with herself.

As Jill stood before a very angry woman in her office, her plans had been shot entirely to hell. At this point, with the many mentions of how her ass was on the line as well as Jill's, the blonde wanted to be anywhere but there. She had even sunk so low as to wish to be the third wheel in the Cindy/Lindsey almost anti-Valentine's Day movie night. Anything to get away from her boss. With how angry Denise seemed to be at the moment, it was clear that she wouldn't accept anything from her, no apology, no drinks, nothing. "Look, I didn't expect for that last witness to be called, and I sure as hell didn't expect for him to have friends in such high places. This wasn't completely my fault!" Jill never knew why Denise seemed to be the only one with the power to make her feel and act like a teenager.

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Jill. You told me that you had this case."

"What do you want me to do-?"

"Your job!" Denise yelled.

"I tried," was all Jill said after a moment, cringing when she realized that it sounded too much like a whine.

"Try harder. People look at you and see this blonde who, though very sexy, can't form a complete thought on her own. Yet you're brilliant in the courtroom and you don't even try! That was why you were hired. I don't want to see the day where you prove them right. I know you're better than that." Denise finished this small... Well, Jill was uncertain what to call this, as she knew that Denise wasn't the pep talk type of woman, and yet that was what it felt like even right after having her ass chewed out only a moment before. As if to realize this herself, Denise cleared her throat and turned towards the door. "That was all I had to say."

With that, Jill was left alone to think, though her mind was rampant with thoughts, wondering what was going on. Then, she began to prepare another case, even though technically, she was done for the day. It wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go, and she figured Claire had some sort of family thing going for Valentine'e day. Then again, how anyone could feel romantic after a full day of cutting up a dead body was beyond Jill, but she had seen Claire cuddle her man more often than she could count. There was no way she was going to ask Denise out now. She liked her head intact, thank you very much. Still, she couldn't help but to long for some company today of all days. Jill shook herself out of the self pity she was in and started to work. She barely acknowledged the night janitor of the building when he peaked in to inquire after the state of her trash, or the few co-workers who stopped by to give a quick goodnight on the way out. Jill barely raised her head when she heard someone else pass by her door. "Burning the midnight oil?"

At this, Jill's head shot up, and she couldn't stop the guilty look upon her face. "Just preparing the Denny case. I should be done here soon," she lied. The truth was that she had finished with that long ago and was now pretty much organizing her files, a task she had put off for a while now but knew it would keep her busy for at least a couple more hours. The look on Denise's face clearly stated that she didn't believe her, nor was she at all impressed with the blonde's lie.

"Look, if this has anything to do with what I said earlier-"

"I know you were right. The element of surprise is part of why I am so good at what I do," Jill said. She tried not to laugh at the look on Denise's face. Whatever the raven haired woman thought she was about to hear, that, apperently, wasn't it. Jill's boss walked into the office a little more and shut the door behind her. The blonde slowly stood up, wondering what Denise was about to say or do.

"Regardless of whether I was right or not, I should have handled that better. In the back of my mind, I knew that you did what you could under the circumstance, but all I could think about was how the axe was about to drop on me." There was a silence between them as Denise seemed to wait for Jill to say something, when she really was struck speechless. Surely Denise wasn't apologising to her. She never did that. Well, except for when she had blabbed about her and Hanson at Tom's wedding. This was just too bizzare.

"O-Okay," Jill said after a moment, not sure if that was the correct thing to say or not, yet not being able to get out anything else.

Denise looked at her watch quickly and then back at Jill. "I know a place that is still serving happy hour, if that can wait until tomorrow," she offered.

"Yeah, let me just put these away," the blonde responded almost automatically. She couldn't believe that this was happening, since she had wanted to ask Denise to drinks ever since Cindy had mentioned it, and now Denise was asking her. Sure, it wasn't a date or anything, just two women trying to forget a bad case, but it was a start. Jill glanced over at the other woman, watching as she went to the window and looked out at the city while placing the folders where they belonged. She told herself (though she was not actually sure she could keep her own promise) that she would get to them the next day. Then she grabbed her briefcase and walked around her desk. "Ready," she said softly after watching her boss at the window for a moment longer before she'd spoken. Denise seemed unsure of herself suddely, but motioned them out into the hall. Jill walked quickly with her to the door before she turned off the light and followed her boss out of the building. how she was planning on turning this into a casual drink with a coworker into a date was uncertain, but she was glad she had the chance to try.

End


End file.
